http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/476808693

The uses of myth in modern Japanese literature : Nakagami Kenji, Ōe Kenzaburō and Kurahashi Yumiko

Naturalism has dominated Japanese fiction since its importation in the late nineteenth century, leading authors to a hyper-realistic, confessional style called the "I"-novel. Japan also has a long tradition of myth, legend, and folklore that has been largely ignored in modern fiction. Post-war authors, however, have begun to draw upon this store of traditional images, as well as themes of Western mythology, to create a exciting new strain of literature that transcends the staid, this-worldly emphasis of the "I"-novel. This dissertation aims to redress the imbalance in Western treatment of modern Japanese literature by showing how three modern authors make use of mythic themes to create worlds of startling vividness and creativity.

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